


Raindrops & Sunshine & Buddy-Dates

by EmSonderling, Glory_Jean



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23353279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmSonderling/pseuds/EmSonderling, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glory_Jean/pseuds/Glory_Jean
Relationships: Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers
Comments: 36
Kudos: 81
Collections: Marching Orders





	1. Chapter 1




	2. Falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I am so so late to post, but that's what happens when you accidentally knock out your wifi in the middle of a pandemic. Oops!
> 
> Anyways--this fic got WAAAAAAAY out of hand in terms of length, partly because I am apparently incapable of writing anything short, and partly because my AMAZING moodboard creator's LOVELY work had me so inspired that I had like 20 ideas, narrowed them down to 3, and then spent 7 hours writing this one almost nonstop.  
> It is tropey, fluffy, and sadly does not adhere to the additional prompt of "magic is just science we don't understand yet," though there's some background magic shenanigans :)
> 
> Thank you especially much to my moldboard partner for sparking this long descent into madness! <3 <3 <3

Darcy’s phone pinged. It was the sound of happiness.

“Jane! I’m off!”

“Hm? Oh, right, he said you had plans today. Have fun on your date!”

“Jannnnnnnnnneeeeee, Buddy Date! Purely Platonic!”

“Yeah, you wish.” Jane’s sardonic eyebrow wiggle vanished behind an Avengers-themed pillow. “Darcy!”

Darcy held another of the lab pillows aloft, this one bearing Mjemjeh and shaped like a lightning bolt, ready to fire again. “Jane. Don’t make me commit cushion-icide.”

“Aw, but then you’d be late for your D-A-T—”

Darcy’s phone pinged again, this time sounding like a reminder of why _not_ to murder her boss. Even if said boss was smirking evilly while caressing the star-and-stripes of the Cap-themed pillow. In retrospect, the wrong ammunition to pick.

Darcy felt her cheeks pink even as she glared.

“I have the high ground, Darcy,” Jane intoned in a terrible British-ish, Jedi-ish accent.

“True,” Darcy admitted. “But _I_ have the fall-themed-chocolate-chip-pumpkin-bread muffins, which I will be taking on my Completely Friendly Date.”

“Noooooooooooo,” Jane said, making grabby hands.

Darcy only paused to flash the scientist a wicked grin of her own before practically _skipping_ out of the office. Because even if it wasn’t a real date, she knew she was in for a good time.

Only when she was safely ensconced in the elevator did she dare to fish out her phone. The first was a picture of a decidedly dangerous-looking motorbike, but it was the second text that she lingered on.

**October 7, 1:34 pm**

**Steve:** _Can’t wait to see you_ :)

Yup. As long as she was with Steve, it was gonna be awesome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_“This is distinctly less awesome than what I pictured when Jane said ‘oh yeah, we’re gonna go work with superheroes!’”_

_“Aw, Miss Lewis, watching bad television with Captain America doesn’t live up to your awesomeness standards?”_

_“Har har, Steve. Cry me a river.”_

_“Maybe I will.”_

_“Hey, even_ that _would be more interesting than this crap show. Pass the cheetos, Steve-o.”_

_At one point in time, the novelty of Captain Friggin America stretched out on a couch, handing her a bowl of junk food while reality TV blared from Tony Stark’s largest flatscreen would probably have sent Darcy to the emergency room with a critical case of OMG. That time was located in the not-too-distant past, sometime before she’d caught Steve Rogers trying to pull a fast one over an unsuspecting Tony Stark, before shooting her a conspiratorial wink behind the super-genius’ back. It was also before Steve had started to join her in chilling in the common room when not actively working, where they’d plow through any available stray food and make fun of JARVIS’ random movie queue. It had completely ruined the Captain America mythos, hearing Steve trash talk brainless action films, but it was nice. It was also starting to get a little boring._

_“Seriously, dude, we need to find something else to do with our free time. How can neither of us have a social life outside work? We are both young, hot, and we’ve been vegging out in front of this screen like a couple married octagenarians too tired to actually experience life.”_

_“Gee, Darce,” Steve said, rolling his eyes. “Speak for yourself. I’m almost a Centinerean, I’ll have you know.”_

_“See! That. Why waste your delightfully trollish humor and gleaming smile on little old me, when there’s an entire New York City out there to lay waste to instead?”_

_Steve mumbled something, and catching the tail end of it, Darcy suppressed a grin._

_“Aw, Cap, I didn’t know hanging out with me lived up to_ your _awesomeness standards! Oh my stars and garters, I might just faint.”_

_“Please, spare me,” Steve said, a sheepish flush coloring his cheeks._

Cute, _Darcy thought unexpectedly. Then quashed the feeling. No reason to wreck a perfectly good bromance, even if her life had been completely lacking in plain old romance, lately. Which…actually gave her an idea. “Hey Steve, wanna go on a Spontaneous Bromantic Date?”_

_This time, Steve’s confused expression and full-bloom blush made her laugh out loud._

_“It’s something Jane and I used to do a lot! She’d get so caught up in work that every once in a while I’d just…plan a whole day for us to go out and do fun couples things—like a date, but with buddies. And yeah, there was an organized idea, but we were always up for whatever happened, thus the spontaneity. I figure, with you on call all the time, I’ll just make up plans we can do at a moment’s notice. That way we’re still hanging out_ and _taking advantage of our wasted youth!”_

_Steve blinked at her, then nodded slowly. “That might actually work.”_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

And it _had_ worked. After sleeping off a week-long op on the communal couch, Steve had sent Darcy a tentative text to ask if she was free, and she’d whisked them off on an adventure that included the Met, a walk in Central Park, and 30s Swing Dance festival (they stepped on each other’s feet _a lot,_ but it was fun to fail together. Darcy couldn’t remember laughing so hard in her life, and Steve’s grin was so wide it must have hurt.)

Their next Spontaneous Bromantic Outing was actually _spontaneous_ , when Darcy’s initial plan to introduce Steve to all-you-can-eat sushi was derailed by a nearby parade. (Darcy had spent more than half the parade on Steve’s shoulders, throwing confetti onto the crowd and steering Steve with two fistfuls of blond hair. He hadn’t gotten her Ratatouille jokes, and they ended the night back on the common room couch, snickering through the animated rat’s antics)

Darcy had been surprised when, in early June, Steve declared that it was his turn to set up the next date, and treated her to a ridiculous all-night graffiti art escapade. They were joined by a kid named Miles who Steve had met “through work,” who seemed to know every secret shortcut in Brooklyn—an expertise that came in handy when they spend the last hour of the night running from a cop (possibly Miles’ dad.) (At one point, Steve had tugged Darcy around an alley _just_ before the NYPD headlights rounded a corner, and they spent a few breathless minutes pressed chest-to-chest, shaking with suppressed laughter and high on adrenaline, staring into each other’s bright eyes and smiling like maniacs.)

In Darcy’s mind, that night was when things started to…change. When everything changed, really.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Don’t let this change everything. Really_. Steve sent the silent prayer up to whatever higher power might be listening as he killed his bike’s engine. Regrettably, reaching their destination meant that Darcy’s arms, wound tight round his chest during the duration of their ride from the Compound to Long Island, slipped away. On the plus side, he got to watch her take off his second bike helmet, and spit out a mouthful of hair. Somehow, it got the butterflies in his stomach started again. The look she shot him was equal parts endearing and indignant.

“I’m gonna have to assume Captain America status automatically protects you from getting pulled over, after burning all that rubber. Are you taking a spark out of Johnny Storm’s Burn Book? To go along with the—” she gestured vaguely at his face “—new look.”

Steve scrubbed a self-conscious hand over his face. He’d let his hair and stubble grow out on the last mission, and hadn’t quite gotten around to shaving it all off. He’d been too busy stressing about, well…this. “That bad, huh?”

Though he tried to play off his nerves with a self-deprecating laugh and averted eyes, Darcy called him on his bluff. One of her hands, warm and gentle, tilted his chin down so she could examine him.

“Nah, I like it.” She gifted him a red-lipped smile, all affection, eyes sparking. “You look all rugged. I promise it’s very sexy, despite the Human Torch resemblance. And _you_ , good sir, promised _me_ a buddy date.”

“That I did.” Steve offered her his elbow in a move that was an attempt at suave, but probably just came off corny. Darcy took it anyways, because she was wonderful and accepting and just _easy_ to be around, like that. Which was half the reason it had taken him so long to work up to courage to try for something more. The other half, of course, was that he’d wanted a proper plan. “Now, I know it’s not the typical season to go to Long Island, and the days are getting shorter and colder—”

“Yes, shocking how fall’s like that, every year.”

“—but,” Steve barreled on, trying and failing not to laugh. “It also means there’s slightly less people, and I got us here fast enough to enjoy a nice long walk and the sunset, maybe a very small bonfire, before it gets too dark. Sound good?”

“I dunno, is that gonna be enough enjoyable stimulation for you, Mr. Jumps-Out-Of-Airplanes?”

It was an old joke, and Steve suppressed the snarky retort on the tip of his tongue. Because if he was gonna do this, he knew he had to do it right. So he gave the same honest answer he’d given all along:

“I enjoy hangin’ out with you, Darce…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**October 1, 2:14am**

**Steve:** _…that’s really all I need._

Darcy bit her lip, rereading the words for the third time. Frankly, it was too early for this, and too early for all the feelings she was definitely failing to keep platonic. Her insomnia (brought on by unnatural lab hours, thanks Jane), had resulted in a panic when she realized it was _her_ turn to develop a Spontaneous Bromantic Date plan. And she was just…out of ideas. Out of fun and exciting excursions to distract herself, and hopefully Steve, from any sign of the romantic notions she was catching.

In a fit of bad decision-making, she texted Steve (who turned out to be awake, thanks different timezones) to tell him her dilemma. Not the bit about wanting to just get back on the common room couch, this time with kissing involved. Just the part where she was out of ideas for what to do next.

**Darcy:** _Not that I’m not complimented_

_Bc I am_

_i just don’t wanna bore you._

**Steve:** [ _image sent, 2:15 am]_

**Darcy:** _Is that a picture of me and a duck?_

**Steve:** _Yup._

**Steve:** _*You, a duck, and all the fall colors in CP_

**Steve:** _My idea of a perfect date._

Darcy smacked a hand to her forehead. Because that was just unfairly fliratious. And most likely just Steve being Charmingly Honest And Hopelessly Befuddled About All Things Always. Especially because that picture hadn’t even been snapped on a Bro Date, just a regular walk between friends. Especially because on that hangout, when they were sitting in the grass by the water, and she’d leaned across his lap for more duck feed in the most suggestive way she could without outright straddling him, he’d turned bright pink and stopped talking, in a way he’d never done on their more spontaneous excursions. After which Darcy decided that maybe she’d been misreading the signs, and it was time to backtrack. Maybe Steve wasn’t ready. Maybe he wanted to just be friends. But now…

Sweet Sif, she was too tired for this level of candid confusion. Time to lighten the mood.

 **Darcy:** _So_ …

**Darcy:** _ur saying…_

**Steve:** _Yes._

**Darcy:** _I gotta include more central park water fowl in my master plans?_

_Didn’t know that’s what did it for you, Cap._

**Steve:** _No._

**Darcy:** _:p_

**Steve:** _How about you stop stressing and deflecting with the ducks, Darcy_

**Darcy:** _Say that 3x fast._

**Steve:** _and let me handle this next one._

Darcy blinked at her screen. Typed a reply. Deleted it. Tried again.

The original point of the buddy dates was to have fun. And with Steve? Darcy did always have fun. She could keep the friendship sailing, just as it had been.

**Darcy:** _Alright. U win. What’s the worst that could happen?_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_This is definitely the worst thing that could’ve happened,_ Steve concluded gloomily.

“Stupid unpredictable fall weather!” Darcy yelled out at the torrential downpour. “Thor? Give us a hand?!”

Thunder cracked overhead.

“Thanks,” Darcy muttered. “Well, at least we’ve got the cabin.”

The cabin was Stark’s, and they’d only barely managed to get to it before the storm _really_ hit. Steve only knew about it because Stark had overhead him telling Jane his plan, and suggested the location as the perfect spot for some “romantic privacy.” Steve had only managed to resist punching Stark’s suggestive eyebrow wiggle off his face because that would cut to close to admitting the truth: if Darcy didn’t want anything even approaching romance…

Rain pounded against the windows, and a flash of lightning lit the cabin, making Darcy jump. He instinctively put an arm out to steady her. Darcy leaned into his touch after a moment’s pause, and Steve was instantly reminded of how badly he’d messed things up in September, unprepared for Darcy’s forwardness. She’d drawn back since, but he’d been hoping, if things went well today…he might make up for it.

Reorienting himself in the present, Steve cleared his throat.“We’ve got the cabin, and I have emergency supplies.”

Darcy grinned up at him.“Oooh, Man with a Plan,”

_The Plan,_ Steve thought wryly, _was to actually ask you out._ It had been an actual capital-P Plan, just short of an itemized list in his head. He shifted away to grab the picnic basket, trying not to read too much into the way her grin dropped in response.

“More like the man who only packed one set of PJs.”

“Well, I guess we’ll have to split, then…top or bottoms, Cap?” The guarded tease in her smile, the way her eyes were saying _it’s okay, I’m not serious_ , _I don’t want to make you uncomfortable_ , pushed him to blurt out exactly what he was thinking.

“‘M sorry, Darce.”

Darcy blinked, pausing in the middle of pulling out Steve’s backup toothbrush and thermal underwear. “For what?”

_For not knowing how to do this right. For not being totally sure if you want what I want._ “I wanted today to be…I don’t know. Perfect.”

Darcy laughed, the sound clear and light. “Steve, you hypocrite. Stop stressing. It’s not like you were gonna propose…”

As a tactitian, Steve really couldn’t have asked for a better opening. Even if it was unplanned, unscripted, and liable to go up in flames. “Darce?”

“Hm?” She was already back to unpacking the picnic he’d made, adding her pumpkin muffins to the pile of food.

“I did have something to propose.”

Darcy paused at that, eyes lifting. Whatever she saw in his face made her blush pink.

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to…” He took a deep breath. “Darcy, do you wanna go on a Spontaneous Date? Right now?”

“I thought that’s what we were doing?” She was looking at him cautiously, and he realized his mistake.

This was all wrong, the setup, the potential awkwardness. Steve played it off with a laugh, and almost convinced himself that Darcy looked…as disappointed as he felt, with that reaction. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I just wanted to hit the restart button.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took Darcy three fumbling tries to smack the snooze button on her alarm. The motion dislodged the sheet from around her shoulders. Darcy groped for it, still half-asleep, only to feel her fingers meet… _leather?_

Steve’s jacket. Darcy sat up abruptly, taking in Tony’s cozy cabin, the muffin wrappers scattered around the floor, the empty half of the bed beside her. The night came flooding back—picnicking on the floor, curling up together on the only mattress, under the cabin’s limited supply of blankets, binging silly cat videos on Darcy’s StarkPhone until they passed out.

 _Like an old married couple…_ Darcy thought ruefully, and sighed.

Enough chasing her own insecurities around in circles. Enough staying safe. Besides, it was cold, here alone in the bed.

Wrapping Steve’s jacket around her shoulders, on top of the thermal shirt he’d graciously loaned her, Darcy tiptoed to the cabin door.

The morning sun shone clear and crisp over Long Island, gilding the still-wet trees in a thousand metallic hues. Even Steve, sitting shirtless by the cabin’s fire pit, seemed sculpted of gold, bare skin and tousled hair brilliant in the early light. Darcy shivered a little as she came closer.

“Warm enough?” Steve asked, turning to look at her with a concern that made her melt a little. He gestured to the little pile of logs crackling merrily in the pit. “It’s no bonfire, but I could —”

Darcy shook her head, stepping closer, right into the space between his spread knees. This time, he didn’t shy away. 

“Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“About what you said last night…”

“Yeah.” Steve was blushing again, turning as red as the foliage of Central Park in September, when Darcy had looked up from the ducks to catch him flushed and grinning and realized she was falling.

“Do you want to date? Not as buddies. Romantically. Randomly, and planned, and whatever else. Because I’d really, really like to, and I was hoping—”

She’d barely finished speaking when Steve pulled her into his lap. And kissed her.

Eventually, Darcy had to come up for air—only because if she didn’t, she was sure she’d go up in flames, just like one of the logs in the fire pit.

Steve had pulled back, but only far enough to press his mouth to her neck, and adjust his grip on Darcy’s thighs. “You’re still cold…”

“Yeah, funny how fall’s like that.” Darcy smiled up at Steve. “Warm me up?”

“Absolutely,” Steve grinned back, sweeping her up into his arms and turning back towards the cabin.

“Awesome.” She said, and was just about to resume the kissing, when there was a sudden ping from the phone still clutched, forgotten, in Darcy’s numb fingers.

**Jane:** _I take it you got your wish? ;)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was long and rambly, but I hope you enjoyed it!!  
> And yes, Jane absolutely got Thor to pull that thunderstorm out of nowhere.


End file.
